United ended their recent losing streak with an excellent second half performance against Swansea - driven from midfield by Darren Fletcher.

Manchester United ended their recent dismal run with a rampant second half display against Swansea City at Old Trafford yesterday evening.

The Red Devils, who came into the game on the back of three straight defeats (including one against Swansea) were in desperate need of a hero - and they got one.

Adnan Januzaj was simply superb throughout against Swansea. His dribbling, incisive passing and delivery were all on point in a wonderful display of cocksure ability.

But for many it was not his swashbuckling display that epitomised a very impressive final 45 minutes - but it was the performance if a returning hero.

Not long ago questions were being asked as to whether Scotland international midfielder Darren Fletcher would ever play again. His battle with ulcerative colitis has been a long and arduous one - which has seen him play just 20 games in the two seasons prior to 2013-14.

But he has never quite looked back on his previous comebacks - still seeming to be shy of his fitness and physical presence after suffering with this nasty bowel disease.

Until yesterday that was.

The first half was a bit of a non-event from the Scot - as he was asked to play deep alongside Michael Carrick to little or no effect or purpose.

In the second half United got ambitious - and Fletcher was given more freedom to roam.

His driving and precise passing continually pegged Swansea back - as they struggled to handle the pace of Danny Welbeck, Adnan Januzaj and Antonio Valencia around them.

His passing accuracy of 93% was the best of any midfielder on the park - with only Danny Welbeck bettering his tally as the lone front-man.

But it was the nature of his passing. These were not always the sideways stat accumulators. They were probing and offensive in nature, including one delightful back-heel in the final 15 minutes - as Fletcher provided the perfect link between defence and attack for 90 minutes.

This was another positive - his first full 90 in the Premier League since December 2012 v Reading.

Is Fletcher back? It is too early to say … but the fans loved his performance anyway.

Mathew Nash

I’m Mathew Nash a 27 year old graduate in Sports Studies and I have an insatiable love for sport. With a particularly keen interest for the madcap world of football I have always been known amongst friends as a beacon for bizarre sporting trivia and knowledge. My other passion is for writing and hopefully combining the two will create a superb and entertaining marriage that will create, divide and share opinion.Mathew is a correspondent for the NextGen Series, Ligue 1 and Primeira Liga.